Apparatus for operating upon composite substances.



A. FAY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29. 1915.

1,210,783. Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WIT/V5555 Mg \k A. FAY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILE 29 I915 1,210,783., I Pate Jan. 2,1917.

I EETS-SHEET 2.

A. FAY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED APB-Z9, 191s.

i 1310383. Patented Jan. 2,1917.

3 SHEET$$HEET 3- Z i A WIT/158E? ALPHEUS FAY, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Batters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed Apri129, 1915.- Serial No. 24,787.

paratus readily disassembled forstorage or shipping; and to make each part so that when it is detached from the other parts it will very readily be cleaned, so that the entire apparatus may be kept thoroughly sanitary in use.

My invention consists in the combination of parts and in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will herein be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of the outlet spout and its mounting; Fig. 3 is a detail of the outlet plug; Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the impeller, the broken line indicating the action when operated slowly; Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the bracket; Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the upper pulley of the solid shaft; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the fly wheel hub and solid shaft therein; Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section of the same; Fig. 10 is another detail plan view of the impeller, the broken line indicating its operation when rotated more rapidly; Fig. 11 is a partial detail plan view of the bracket; Fig. 12 is a detail plan view of the loose bearing; Fig. 13 is a detail side elevation of the same; Fig. 14 is a detail plan view of the hollow shaft hub; and Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the same.

The vessel 1 for containing milk elements to be operated upon is of wide and low formation providing an ample base, so that the vessel is readily secured in a substantial manner to a table or other supporting means.

The wide and low formation of the vessel in addition to providing a firm foundation tion to its diameter. Keeping the depth of the substance shallow in proportion to its diameter is a very important feature in the satisfactory operation of my apparatus, and for that reason I make my vessel for containing a substance to be operated upon of a wide and low formation, namely, the diameter being greaterthan its depth. This is according to the method set forth and claimed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 744,158, filed Jan. 25, 1913, Serial No. 829,982, filed April 6, 1914, and Serial No. 11.355, filed March 1,1915.

The bracket 2 is mounted across the top of the vessel resting on the rim thereof at opposite sides and having at one side a flat shank 3 that enters a cleat 4 fixed on the side of the vessel so that this end of the bracket 2 is held firmly down on the rim of the vessel. At the other side the bracket has a channel 5 fitting over the rim of the vessel and has, projecting outwardly, upwardly opening hooks 6. An arm 7 extends along the outside of the vessel, and its upper end has laterally projecting lugs 8 that engage in the upwardly opening hooks 6. This arm 7 at its bottom has a part 9 coming sufiiciently far below the bottom of the vessel 1 to pass under the table or other object 10. upon which the vessel is to be supported, and this terminal part 9 has a clamping screw 11 passing up through it to bear against the lower side 'ofthe top of the table or other object 10. With the shank end 3 of the bracket 2 fitting snugly under the cleat 4 andthus supporting and steadying this end of the bracket, and with the channel 5 fit ting the rim of the vessel 1 snugly, it is thus possible to secure the bracket 2 firmly on the vessel 1 and at thesame time secure the vessel firmly on the table or other object. The

lower part of the arm 7 a driving wheel 14 is rotatably mounted and it has two annular grooves in its periphery.

The solid sh'ft 15 is mounted vertically and extends down into the vessel having a loose bearing 16 mounted in the middle of the bracket 2, and has, above and below this bearing, pulleys 17 and 18 each having a grooved periphery and being fixed to said shaft 15 in any suitable manner. A single belt 19 passes around the two grooves of the fly wheel 14 and around the respective grooves of the pulleys 17 and 18 with two of its strands passing over the two grooves of one pulley 13 and its other two strands passing over the two grooves of the other pulley 13 at the side of the vessel. The loose bearing 16 is of spool shape, having upper and lower flanges 20 which come above and below the bracket 2, and the bracket 2 is open at one side so that the middle or body part of this spool-shaped loose bearing 16 is adapted to fit in a substantially semi-circular vertical socket 21 in the bracket on the side next to the driving wheel 14 and pulleys 13, said bearing 16 being held in its socket by the tension of the driving belt 19. This tension is applied to the belt 19 in the process of assembling the apparatus and mounting it upon the table or other support 10. Thus it is necessary only to place the vessel upon the table, place the bracket upon the vessel, bring the shaft 15 with its loose bearing 16 into its socket 21, then pass the driving belt 19 around the pulleys 17 and 18 and down over the pulleys 13 and then apply the arm 7 with the driving wheel 14 and pass the belt 19 around the driving wheel, whereupon the bringing of the arm 7 into clamping position will tighten the'belt 19 properly, if it is made of the proper length, giving it the required tension to properly drive the shaft 15 and also to hold the bearing in its position in the bracket 2.

Each of the agitator members 22 and 23 is composed of a square sheet of'metal with its corners bent down or up, as the case may be, so that the. complete member is octagonal with triangular sides 24 and 25, respectively. These members thus formed are inversely assembled with the triangular sides overlapping and leaving open sides 26. Theupper impeller member 22 has a large central opening extending up around which is a collar 27 pressed up from the sheet of which this'impeller member/is formed. Fitting down upon'this collar 27, which is preferably tapered upwardly as shown, is a' hollow shaft 28 which has its lower end 29 fitting down over the collar 27 and if the collar 27 is tapered this flaring lower end29 is flared as shown. This causes the hollow shaft 28 to make a tight fit with the upper impeller member 22 and yet be .readily removable therefrom. The upper end of the hollow shaft 28 has a hub 30 which comprises a cap or a ferrule 31 fitting around the upper rim of the hollow shaft 28 snugly with arms 32 extending in and joining the hub 30. This hub 30 has a clamping screw 33 passing inwardly against the solid shaft 15 so that the upper impeller member 22 and hollow shaft 28 may thus be held down.

The lower impeller member 23 has an opening in its center through which the shaft 15 projects downwardly, and diametrically across its center it has a groove formed by pressing upwardly a head 34 so that the groove opens downwardly and extends radially from each side of the opening through which the shaft 15 extends. The shaft 15 has a hole diametrically through it, through which a pin 35 may be passed, and when the lower impeller member 23 is brought down this pin 35 will enter the groove in the lower side of the impeller member and be held against endwise displacement. Thus the pin 35 will hold the lower impeller member up, and the impeller member will hold the pin in its proper supporting position. At the same time these parts are readily detached from each other. With the hollow shaft 28 thus provided, if the impeller is rotated it acts centrifugally and centripetally upon the liquid, making contact with the upper and lower surfaces of its upper and lower members forcing the liquid radially outward between the two members and above them and below them while the periphery will present a substantially V-shaped formation with the result that the liquid will be impelled somewhat as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. With the liquid thus impelled outwardly, areas of reduced pressure will be created in the central regions of the impeller and air will be drawn down through the hollow shaft 28 between the impellers as indicated by the double arrows. Preferably, the upper and lower members have perforations in them so thata'ir may pass from the outside of the hollow shaft 28-into the space between the impellers, and may also pass from this space to the space between the lower impeller and the bottom of the vessel. With the impellers thus formed and operated, the vibrations in the liquid around the periphery will be somewhat of a V-shaped serpentine formation as indicated by the broken lines in Figs. 4 and 10, accordingly as the agitator is rotated slowly or rapidly.

The upper-end of the solid shaft 15 projects a short distance above the upper pulley 17 and receives a fly wheel 36 to turn with it. For attaching this fly wheel in a readily detachable manner the upper side of the upper pulley 17 has radial lugs 37 and the lower side ofthe hub of the fly wheel 36 has since the pulley 17 is fixed to the shaft 15 the fly wheel 36 will be compelled to rotate with these parts when placed thereon. For positively holding the fly wheel down on the pulley 17 it may have a clamping screw 39 passing in through its hub, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Immediately above the bottom of the vessel there may be an opening 40 in the wall of the vessel which may be closed by a suitable plug 41 thus providing convenient means for withdrawing liquids from the vessel. This opening 40 is provided with a spout 42 adapted to fit around its lower side outside the vessel and project outwardly therefrom. This spout has a back plate 43 made to conform to the outside of the vessel, the spout 42and plate 43 preferably being formed integral from a single sheet of metal. I provide for readily securing this spout 42 in its proper position on the side of the vessel by making the back plate 43 with a lower outwardly projecting flange 44 along its lower edge, there being suflicient extent of the back plate 43 below the spout 42 to receive the lower hoop 45 of the vessel 1 snugly between the lowerside of the spout 42 and the upper side of the flange 44. With these parts thus relatively proportioned, the back plate 43 may be slipped down behind the hoop 45 before the hoop 45 is driven down upon the vessel, bringing the flange 44 under the lower edge of the hoop, and then when the hoop is driven down tight it will securely hold the spout 42 in position under the opening 40 without the necessity of using screws or other separate fastening means to secure the spout to the vessel. If desired the flange 44 may be dispensed with and the clamping pressure of the hoop 45 on the back plate 43 may be de pended upon to hold the spout 42 securely in position, although it will be understood that this means of fastening is not as secure as that above described. Somewhat the same means ma'y be employed for securing the cleat 4 on the upper part of the vessel. Thus the upper hoop 46 may have this cleat 4 slipped behind it before driving the hoop down and the cleat may have a flange 47 along its lower edge coming under the lower edge of the hoop 46. However, since there is upward pull on this cleat by the bracket 2 it is desirable to insert a screw or bolt 48 through the hoop and cleat into the side of the vessel. In conjunction with this screw the flange 47 may be dispensed with and the pressure of the hoop 46 on the cleat depended upon to hold the cleat against swinging laterally out of position. Also, the screw may pass through the cleat only.

To cooperate with the impeller, brakes 49 may be mounted at opposite sides of the .interior of the vessel and may project up into suitable sockets in the lower side of the bracket 2 adjacent to respective sides of the rim of the vessel, and these brakes have their lower ends bearing firmly on the bottom of the vessel and thus are held in position for operation.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the apparatus may be disassembled to such an eXtent that no large or cumbersome parts are left to be packed or stored. In fact with this construction, all of the parts may be conveniently packed inside the vessel 1 for storage or shipping, thus greatly adding to the convenience and economy of handling the device. Furthermore, with the impeller and its tubular shaft made up of the detachable pieces as above described, all parts of these pieces are readily accessible for cleaning, and the entire apparatus is thus readily kept sanitary in use.

By providing a single endless driving belt 19 passing in two strands around the various pulleys, l secure a smooth and quiet driving operation, the two relatively small strands being much more flexible and eflicient in their operation than would a single strand of the requisite thickness. At the same time, by providing in conjunction with these two strands of the single belt the separate pulleys above and below the bearing, the driving belt is caused to pull evenly above and below the bearing and thus make practicable the loose mounting of the bearing for the shaft 16 in the bracket 2 as above described, in such a manner that the shaft with its bearing may be readily removed from the bracket. Another advantage of having the bearing 16 loose in the bracket 2 is that it is capable of slight rotation. during'the operation of the device, and at each repeated assemblage of the device it will be almost certain to be brought into a new position relative to the driving parts each time. Thus the wear due to the pulling of the driving belt 19 is not imposed continuously on any one side of the bearing, but is distributed therearound, causing the bearing to wear evenly and adding to the durability of the apparatus at the point where the greatest wear is imposed.

Not only are the parts'thus provided in a manner such that they are readily detachable from each other for convenience of storage and shipping and for sanitary pur poses, but also each part is extremely sim ple and economically constructed.

F or separating butter from either sweet ,or sour cream, the liquid is placed in the vessel to about the height of the heavy dotted line, with the impeller about midway of the depth of the liquid as shown. It is important that the depth of the liquid above the impeller disk be not too great; otherwise the entrance of the air under atmospheric pressure will be hindered. It is also important that the distance between the impeller and the bottom of the vessel be not too great, because any considerable quantity of liquid too far below the impeller will not be affected by the aeration and other forces acting upon it, and will not have the butter separated from it, but will merely serve as a collecting place for the butter separated from the upper liquid. On the other hand it is highly desirable that the impeller disk be of considerable diameter in order to obtain the greatest amount of centrifugal and centripetal action without impact and to operate on as large a quantity of liquid as is desired. For this reason the proper disposition of the body of liquid will be such that its width is considerably greater than its depth, as illustrated in the drawing, and it is for this reason that the vessel is made wide and low so that it is possible for all the forces applied to the liquid to act upon it in a uniform manner.

The milk elements should not have their temperature too low or too high, about 55 or 60 Fahrenheit being the preferred temperature. Such temperature is high enough to allow the operation to be performed quickly, and it is not so high as to cause the resulting butter granules to be too soft.

With this method butter maybe produced in from three to ten minutes. Perceptible accumulation of butter will practically all take place during the last 15 or 60 seconds of the operation. The butter will form in granules, and then the residue may be drawn off from the vessel and the granules salted by agitation and aeration of brine with the granules in the vessel. When the salting operation is completed, the butter granules may be'removed from the brine in the vessel,

or the brine may be Withdrawn from the butter granules, and the granules then re moved from the vessel, after which the granules are worked or pressed into consistency for use. The efficiency of operation is such that fully 90% of the butter fat of the cream is removed, and butter of purity of over 99% is obtainable, of firm texture and natural flavor. I

Having fully. described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a support, of a vessel thereon, operating means within the vessel, a belt driving means connected to the operating means and 'a single means for clamping the vessel to the support and for tightening the belt driving means.

2. The combination with a support, of a vessel thereon, operating means within the vessel, a bracket comprising a cross bar and a depending arm pivotly connected thereto, the operating means being suspended from said cross bar, a driving member carried by the arm, a belt connecting said driving member with the operating means, and means carried by the arm for detachably connecting the vessel to the support, the adjustment of the arm about its pivot tightening the belt of the driving means.

3. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, operating means in the vessel, a bracket across the top of the vessel, means detachably securing the operating means to the bracket, driving means for said operating means mounted on said bracket outside said vessel, and means for detachably securing said bracket to said vessel and for detachably securing said vessel to supporting means, said driving-means being mounted partly on said operating means, partly on said bracket and partly on said means for detachably securing said bracket and said vessel.

.4.-. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, rotatable operating means in said vessel, a shaft for saidv operating means, a bracket mounted across the top of said vessel, a loose bearing for said shaft removably mounted in said bracket, and driving means for said operating means comprising a flexible member passed around said shaft and thereby holding said bearing in said bracket.

5. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, rotatable operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, a bracket mounted across the top of said vessel, a loose bearing for said shaft removably mounted in said bracket, driving means for said operating means comprising a flexible member passed around said shaft and thereby holding said bearing in said bracket, an arm engaging with said bracket and extending down alongside said vessel and supporting means, said arm adapted to engage with the supporting means for the vessel, to hold the bracket on the vessel and the vessel on the supporting means. said driving means also comprising a driving wheel mounted on said arm, and said flexible member passing around this driving means.

6. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, rotatable operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said op erating means, a bracket mounted across the top of said vessel, a loose bearing for said' shaft removably mounted in said bracket,

driving means for said operating means arm is brought into position for holding said bracket and said vessel.

7. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, avessel, rotatable operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, a bracket across the top of said vessel, a bearing for said shaft removably mounted in said bracket, pulleys fixed on said shaft above and below said bearing, respectively, pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket at one side of said vessel, an arm extending from said bracket down alongside said vessel supporting means, said arm adapted to engage with the supporting means for the vessel and holding the bracket on the vessel and holding the vessel on said supporting means, a driving wheel rotatably mounted on said arm, and an endless flexible belt having two strands passing around said driving wheel and separately passing over respective ones of said pulleys on said bracket at the side of the vessel and around said pulleys on said shaft above and below said removable bearing, whereby said belt holds said shaft and its bearing in position in said bracket.

8. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, rotatable operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, a bracket across the top of said vessel, a bearing for said shaft removably mounted in said bracket, pulleys fixed on said shaft above and below said bearing, respectively, pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket at one side of said vessel, an

arm extending from said bracket down alongside said vessel supporting means, said arm adapted to engage with the supporting means for the vessel and holding the bracket.

on the vessel and holding the vessel on said supporting means, a driving wheel rotatably mounted on said arm, and an endless flexible belt havin two strands passing around said driving w eel and separately passing over respective ones of said pulleys on said bracket at the side of the vessel and around said pulleys on said shaft above and below said removable bearing, whereby said belt holds said shaft and its bearing in position in said bracket, said arm being detachable from said bracket and being capable of swinging outwardly from said vessel or inwardly toward said vessel with said driving wheel, whereby said belt may be applied to or detached from said pulleys and said driving wheel.

9. In apparatus for operating-upon omposite substances, a vessel, operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, a bracket across the top of said ves sel, a removable bearing for said shaft in said bracket, and driving means for said I shaft exerting tension on said shaft toward one side of the vessel and thereby holding said bearing in its position in said bracket, said bearlng being loose to turn in said bracket and thereby present new surfaces opposite the direction of tension, for the purposes set forth.

10. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances a vessel, operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, supporting and bearing means for the shaft, a pulley fixed on said shaft above said supporting and bearing means, means for rotating said shaft by said pulley, a fly wheel on said shaft above said pulley, and

detachable engaging means between said pulley and said fly wheel whereby said fly wheel is caused to turn with said pulley and said shaft.

11 In apparatus for operating upon composite substances a vessel, operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, supporting and bearing means for the shaft, a pulley fixed on said shaft above said supporting and bearing means, means for rotating said shaft by said pulley, a fly wheel on said shaft above said pulley, and a lug on the upper side of said pulley, said fly wheel having a groove in which said lug detachably engages, whereby said fly wheel is caused to turn with said pulley and said shaft.

12. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances a vessel, operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, supporting and bearing means for the shaft, a pulley fixed on said shaft above said supporting and bearing means, means for rotating said shaft by said pulley, a fly wheel on said shaft above said pulley, detachable engaging means between said pulley and said fly wheel whereby said fly wheel is caused to turn with said pulley and said shaft, and clamping means on said fly wheel engaging with said shaft to hold said fly wheel down upon said pulley.

13. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances a vessel, operating means in said vessel, a shaft for said operating means, supporting and bearing means for the shaft, a pulley fixed on said shaft above said supporting and bearing means, means for rotating said shaft by said pulley, a fly wheel. on said shaft above said pulley, a lug on the upper side of said pulley, said fly wheel having a groove in which said lug detachably engages, whereby said fly wheel is caused to turn with said pulley and said shaft, and clamping means on said fly wheel engaging with said shaft to hold said flywheel down upon said pulley.

14. In a device of the character described,

in combination with a vessel, a bracket comprising a main part extending across the top ber at one end thereof bearing on the rim.

of the vessel, an arm detachably engaging with said bracket near themember that bears on the rim of the vessel and extending down outside and under the vessel, clamping means on said arm under the vessel, said operating mechanism of the device comprising an upright shaft journaled in said bracket and a pulley on said shaft above the bracket, a driving wheel rotatabl mounted on said arm, an idler pulley rotata ly mounted on said bracket, near the place of engagement of the arm with the bracket, and a belt passing around said pulley and said driving wheel and over said idler pulley, said arm with its clamping means being adapted to hold the bracket on the vessel and to hold the vessel to a suitable supporting means, and said belt being removable from said pulleys and said driving wheel by moving said arm with respect to said bracket.

15. In a device of the character described, in combination with a supporting shaft, a pulley driving means fixed on said shaft having two distinct grooves in the periphery thereof, a driving wheel mounted for rotation in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotation of said pulley on said shaft and having two distinct grooves in its periphery, two idler pulleys each having two distinct grooves in its periphery, and a belt having strands passing around the. respective grooves in the peripheries of the pulley driving means on said shaft and said driving wheel and through the respective grooves in respective ones of said idler pulleys, whereby the flexibility and area of frictional contact of the belt are increased in vessel is clamped to a suitable supporting means, driving means for said shaft mounted on said arm, and an operative connection from said driving means to said shaft.

17. In a device'of the character described, in combination with a supporting shaft, a bracket comprising a bearing for the shaft, a vessel, said bracket extending across the top of said vessel and being supported upon the rim thereof, an arm extending down from said bracket along the side of and under the vessel, means on the arm whereby the bracket is clamped to the vessel and the vessel is clamped to a suitable supporting means, driving means for said shaft mounted on said arm, and an operative connection from said driving means to said shaft, said arm being movable with respect to said' bracket and permitting the removal of said operative connection from said driving means andsaid shaft.

ALPHEUS FAY.

Witnesses CLARENCE Pnnnnw, CATHERINE DoRAN. 

